Fatah Official: Syria to involve inter-Arab conciliation, dialogue next Tuesday

Gaza, March 27, 2009 (Pal Telegraph) – A senior official of Fatah movement said that an Egyptian delegation headed by Omer El Qenawi, deputy head of Egypt's intelligence, had been to Damascus for conversations with Syrian officials over the inter-Arab conciliation and the inter-Palestinian national dialogue.

Nabil Shaath, a member of Fatah's central committee and head of the group's delegation to Cairo, revealed that they are happy over this visit.

In a press release, Shaath added that the visit aimed at continuing the talks with the Syrian officials over the Arab-Arab conciliation, besides involving Syria in the inter-Palestinian national dialogue.

Shaath also revealed that Egyptian delegation is likely to meet with Khaled Meshaal, Hamas politburo chief and Ramadan Shalah, Secretary-General Islamic Jihad movement.

The Fatah official asserted that the Egyptian-mediated reconciliation talks will resume in Cairo next Tuesday. "The first day is scheduled for unofficial discussions between the Egyptian officials and representatives of the Palestinian parties," he added.

Asked if disagreement over the political program of a unity government is still the main obstacle in the way of achieving a national reconciliation, Shaath said that this issue is "solvable". "We are working on achieving an applicable deal," he added.

Shaath made clear that the reconciliation talks will take a long time, asserting that the inter-Palestinian dialogue has no specific duration of time. He also said: "I do not know how much time the dialogue will take, but for sure we will work out a deal."

A number of the Palestinian parties have lately received invitations from Egypt to continue the Egyptian-mediated reconciliation talks at the beginning of the next month.

Hamas-Fatah power-sharing have reached a complete deadlocked because of disagreements over the political program of a unity government. However, some of the complicated files such as the government and security have been finalized.

Ibrahim Abu Sobeih, PT Reporter in Gaza